London motorcycle theft petition launched

A petition calling on the Home Secretary Theresa May, new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the Metropolitan Police to tackle the “epidemic” of motorcycle theft in London has been launched on www.change.org.

Citing a 44% surge in motorcycle thefts in London between 2012 and 2014 alone which was revealed in a recent study, the petition argues that: “Even when the crime is caught on camera the Metropolitan Police have no interest in pursuing or investigating the case, often closing it due to "insufficient evidence". If a thief were to walk into a Post Office or bank and take £5,000; or were that value of goods were to be stolen from a business, action would no doubt be taken. That it is not in the case with motorcycle thefts is appalling.”

The petition calls for more anchor points in the capital so that motorcycles can be safely secured, increasing police resources to investigate motorcycle crime, declaring motorcycle theft a priority for the Metropolitan Police and reviewing national sentencing guidelines to provide a greater deterrent in the courts.

Moreover, the petition notes that this surge in crime also affects non-riding Londoners too. It notes that motorcycle theft leads to “criminals posing a danger to the public through reckless riding on pavements and through red lights. Stolen motorcycles and other powered two wheelers are also used as a mode of committing other crimes against Londoners.”

British Motorcyclists Federation would like to be able to use cookies to store small amounts of information on your computer to make your experience of this site better. None of the information is personally identifiable. We have already set a cookie that is essential for the use of the site.Please read our privacy policy for more information